We welcome Luton Council’s decision to have the 28 residential units at Chubb House demolished. This building started life as an office, but was illegally turned into residential units. The enforcement notice — served back in April 2022 — requires the affected units on Dallow Road to be demolished. This action is warranted given the extreme and life-threatening conditions.
The Planning Inspectorate has agreed to only partially demolish Chubb House, keeping some of it intact. This decision increased Housing Quality/Code Enforcement conversations within the city. The units that were now demolished behind the outer brick façade lacked adequate natural light or ventilation. Residents were met with a dismal prospect in those dwellings. Each of these factors led to the conclusion that the conditions of living were utterly intolerable.
This ruling affects hundreds of thousands of residents. These were the same tenants who, under government pressure, had been settled in the flats by London’s local borough councils. Incredibly, one of the residents who fled the building was Trish Balusa, a former contestant on reality show Big Brother, who had lived there with her autistic son. She wrote to the inspector general about the conditions, saying that,
“Human beings should not have to live in such inadequate environment.” – Trish Balusa
According to another resident, Naima Stitou, the building’s structure was in bad shape. She told us that the ceiling tiles in her children’s bedroom have fallen in four times. This starkly illustrates the critical need for improvement in public housing. Stitou’s deeply personal testimony on the cost of living in an oppressive environment underscored this, as she put it,
“This win feels so personal because I know from my own experience how traumatising living there was.” – Naima Stitou
Luton Council approved planning permission to change the use of the site. They voted against proposals for two of the buildings that would jeopardize residents’ health. A spokesperson for Luton Council noted,
“While planning permission has been granted for the change of use of the site and the retention of 81 residential units, permission was refused for two buildings that were found to provide wholly unacceptable living conditions.”
The spokesperson continued to clarify the council’s position. They went on to say that the move was intended to address the most egregious features of the accommodation while still safeguarding families who view this locale as their residence.
As Luton Council moves forward with this enforcement action, it emphasizes its commitment to ensuring safe and adequate housing for all residents. Chubb House serves as a reminder that developing beautiful, livable places is still an uphill battle. These issues remain as the urban environment never stops evolving.
“the option to remove the central block of 28 units was a viable solution.”
As Luton Council moves forward with this enforcement action, it emphasizes its commitment to ensuring safe and adequate housing for all residents. The situation at Chubb House serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges faced in providing quality living environments amidst changing urban landscapes.
